The Cool Code by Deirdre Langeland and Sarah Mai - ADVISABLE

The Cool Code by Deirdre Langeland, illustrated by Sarah Mai, 222 pages. GRAPHIC NOVEL, Clarion (Clarion Books). 2022. $13 

Language: G (1 swear 0 'f')); Mature Content: G; Violence: G.

 BUYING ADVISORY: EL, MS - ADVISABLE 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: AVERAGE 

Zoey goes from being home-schooled to her first year of actual school in 8th grade. She is nervous about fitting into this new and overwhelming environment. Zoey is a coder and she is developing the Cool Code to help her fit in. It should tell her what to say and even what to wear to be cool. Unfortunately, it may have some bugs. It may be a big help or could crash her social life. 

I like that Zoey is a coder and new to the school scene. I also love that algorithms are helpful, but navigating middle school and friendships takes trial and error. There are some great lessons to be learned and the characters and storyline are relatable and timely. The illustrations add to the story and are easy to follow. If you're a fan of Raina Telgemeier, this book is definitely for you. Races are unclear, though Zoey's friend is Black. 

Michelle in the Middle